UPDATE: On Monday August 21, 2023, Ohio Right to Life issued a statement endorsing the Christian statement by their former employee Elizabeth Marbach. The same statement noted that Marbach herself has acknowledged that her departure from Ohio Right to Life was “not due to the exchange with [Congressman] Miller.”
(LifeSiteNews) — Ohio Right to Life fired the organization’s communications director after Republican Jewish Congressman Max Miller publicly accused her of bigotry earlier this week in response to her proclaiming her faith in Jesus Christ on social media.
“There’s no hope for any of us outside of having faith in Jesus Christ alone,” Elizabeth “Lizzie” Marbach posted Tuesday afternoon on ‘X’ formerly known as Twitter.
Twenty-five minutes later, Miller, whose wife, Emily Moreno Miller, serves on the Board of Ohio Right to Life, called her statement “bigoted” and demanded she take it down. “This is one of the most bigoted tweets I have ever seen. Delete it, Lizzie. Religious freedom in the United States applies to every religion. You have gone too far.”
This is one of the most bigoted tweets I have ever seen.
Delete it, Lizzie.
Religious freedom in the United States applies to every religion.
You have gone too far. https://t.co/QCx8oAT1Kr
— Max Miller (@MaxMillerOH) August 15, 2023
Miller then added a theological response five minutes later, asserting “God says that Jewish people are the chosen ones, but yet you say we have no hope. Thanks for your pearl of wisdom today.”
It is a central tenet of Christianity that faith in Jesus Christ and baptism are necessary for salvation. It is a further doctrine that the heirs to the promises given to Abraham are those Jews and non-Jews who are in communion with Jesus Christ, and thus make up the People of God. As a result, as St. Peter proclaimed, those Jews who do not follow Christ are cut off from the chosen people.
Marbach refused to delete her post, responding, “Sorry, Congressman, but these are the words of Jesus himself.” She then quoted John 14:6, “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me,’” and ended asserting, “No one has hope outside of Jesus Christ and every knee will bow one day declaring that Jesus Christ is Lord” referencing Philippians 2: 10-11.
Closing ranks with Miller was another Ohio congressman, Democrat Casey Weinstein, who is Jewish as well. “We may be on opposite sides of the aisle, but I stand with Max on this. Delete it, Lizzie,” he posted on X, which he later deleted himself.
Miller’s post received a host of responses, including, “Delete this tweet expressing the foundational tenet of your religion because in America we believe in religious freedom.” Also posted from podcaster Inez Stepman was “‘Christianity is literally anti-Semitic.’ I think it might be you who is bigoted.”
Later Tuesday evening, Miller apologized for the exchange, stating, “I posted something earlier that conveyed a message I did not intend. I will not try to hide my mistake or run from it. I sincerely apologize to Lizzie and to everyone who read my post.”
The now former Ohio Right to Life communications director replied, “Max, I accept your apology 100%,” and pledged her prayers for him, receiving many positive responses, including one from former Trump attorney Jenna Ellis.
Breaking the story on the firing, The Sentinel quoted Marbach as affirming she “absolutely” does not regret posting her comment because “now millions have read the gospel message.”
The outlet stated they examined internal documents from Ohio Right to Life that indicated Marbach was “offered the opportunity to resign from the entity or receive a transition period before her official dismissal, both of which she declined.”
Journalist Ben Zeisloft also reported that a post from Marbach last week calling a pro-abortion advocate a “murderous liar” caused a disagreement between she and another “senior Ohio Right to Life employee” who was “concerned about the tone of the post.”
A statement by ORL chief executive officer Peter Range said the decision to fire Marbach “was not based on any single event as some on social media claim,” to which Matt Walsh replied, “We are going to need a much better explanation than this. Was Lizzie’s tweet about her Christian faith part of the reason she was fired or not? Simple yes or no.”
On Wednesday, the day after the social media exchange, a leftist substack publication made reference to Marbach stating her “career was in Jeopardy earlier today” and the same “senior Ohio Right to Life official” confirmed to Marbach in a text message that someone had leaked to the outlet “confidential information I shared with the board.”
Marbach, who was also a former Trump campaign and Ohio Republican Party staff member, additionally told The Sentinel that she trusts “God will continue to use this situation to bring glory and honor to his name.” Moreover, she suggested that Ohio Right to Life has too great a focus on politics over their mission of saving preborn children from being directly killed in the womb.
“Preborn lives are being slaughtered every day, and Ohio Right to Life is one of the few organizations in a position to stop it,” she asserted. “I hope and pray that they would prioritize abolishing abortion in Ohio going forward and not be distracted by politics.”
LifeSiteNews reached out to Ohio Right to Life for further comment but did not receive a response by time of publication.